A major industrial battle is raging in Scotland that the media has largely ignored for two weeks.

CSP’s client Colleges Scotland is refusing to honour a deal it made with the EIS Fela union 14 months ago.

Findlay’s claims raise serious questions about the £470,000 a year Colleges Scotland gets to implement national bargaining from Scottish Funding Council. The council is a public body of the Scottish government.

“We’re trying to encourage students to get involved, support the lecturers and join the picket lines. If the deal is honoured we get our lecturers back.”

Students plan to rally in Glasgow on Wednesday to back their lecturers.

Anger

Strikers’ anger is now rightly being directed at the SNP’s refusal to intervene.

“The silence from the education minister and the further education minister is unsustainable.

“We are not going away,” EIS Fela rep Angela told Socialist Worker.

Last Thursday’s strike saw workers protest at local SNP MSPs’ offices and the official residence of SNP first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

With this kind of mood for action politicians campaigning for the general election could be in for a rough time on the campaign trail.

Sturgeon has urged bosses to “go the extra mile” to get a settlement. But she also claimed that if the government has to intervene it would mean the failure of national bargaining.

Sturgeon is missing the key point—national bargaining is already failing. That’s why they face a series of escalating walkouts in further education.

The Glasgow Clyde striker said, “People are really angry. Management are just so cynical. It’s not just that they don’t care about us.

“They don’t care about the students either. This is a very important battle. We can’t back down here. If we don’t win, the management will come after us for more cuts. Victory is crucial.”

Messages of support to: jgkellyeis@live.co.uk Sign the petition at www.eis.org.uk Fighting fund bank account details at bit.ly/2qT0RnU
UCU London region and Unite the Resistance are co-hosting a meeting for solidarity with EIS strikers. Friday 19 May, 6.30pm, upstairs at The Cheshire Cheese pub, 5 Little Essex St, London WC2R 3LD. EIS Fela will be holding a lobby in George Square, Glasgow on Saturday 20 May from 1pm until approximately 2pm